Uzbek national sentenced to life in prison for killing 11 people in Ukraine

A citizen of Uzbekistan has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 11 individuals in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, between February 2018 and January 2024. The Kyiv Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the verdict.

The convicted individual, who reportedly had no permanent residence, killed 3 women and 8 men, most of whom were homeless. According to the investigation, he befriended his victims and consumed alcohol with them prior to committing the murders. He also attempted to kill another person but failed to carry out the act.

"In January 2024, the man entered a flower shop in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district pretending to be a customer. There, he stabbed the saleswoman more than 30 times and stole her gold jewelry. He later confessed to this crime and gave detailed accounts of his previous murders", the report stated.

Investigators noted that the defendant remembered each of his victims in detail and hoped that his cooperation would lead to a lighter sentence. However, the court, taking into account the severity and premeditated nature of his crimes, as well as the conclusive evidence presented, sentenced him to life imprisonment—the harshest penalty under Ukrainian law. He remains in custody.

For context, the Ukrainian court's decision comes amid other high-profile cases involving Uzbek nationals abroad. Notably, the Turkish Supreme Court previously upheld a 40-time life sentence for Abdulkodir Masharipov, who was convicted of murdering 39 people and attempting to kill 79 others during a terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Reina nightclub in 2017.